Animal I've Become
by Snowsin
Summary: When Sasuke returns to Konoha to complete his revenge, he is defeated by Danzo. In his near death experience the very power he trained so hard to get will become the curse he has to carry. SasuSaku M for later chapters


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Summary:

When Sasuke returns to Konoha to finish his long path to avenge, he is met with a life changing experience instead. The very power he struggled to attain has become a curse, bearing its mark on him where ever he goes. Only one person can understand him and hopefully fix him before he loses his sanity to his own curse. [SasuSaku] [M for Later Chapters]

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters.

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**Chapter 1: The Price of Revenge**

Rubble lay scattered across Konoha, a vast majority of landscape had been destroyed in the bid to protect the village against Pain and Konan. The damage was unbearable for some while others carried out their tasks like healing shinobi as if it was just another day at the office.

Cleaning teams consisting of mainly genin and chunin were assembled at direct order of the hokage and all debris was slowly being removed from the battle sites. The distinctive hokage tower had nearly been destroyed from the battle; Konoha had been brought to its knees by two of Akatsuki's strongest members.

Sasuke had watched the battle with mild interest from a far away position, his sharingan granting him an exclusive view on the fight first hand. His neutral face had remained the same as he saw Konoha's defensive team struggle for their lives against the wrath of Pain and Konan.

A slight breeze blew in from the west as Sasuke stood up and jumped down from his branch, using chakra he peeled bark of the tree as he grinded to a halt at the base of the tree. Reaching into his cloak he pulled out a map of Konoha and glanced over it without paying much attention.

He knew what he had to do, for the sake of his brother and his clan he would make Konoha pay for what they had done to him. The lie that Itachi had to live, the hatred now sorrow towards his brother whom was only trying to protect him was something Sasukes mind only seemed to register. The need to avenge Itachi drove him. His path had been traced out for him, not only physically but since he was born he was given the task to avenge.

Fastening his kusangi with a rope he made sure all his equipment was ready, checking the map once more he withdrew it into his cape and headed into the sunset with only revenge guiding him..

_**-Naruto-**_

He stood with Nagato at his feet, it shouldn't have to end this way..

Jiriaya had left them both with the power to change the world, to rid it the world of hate.

He could only stare at the body before him; he had somehow managed to counter the rinnegan. He could feel sage mode ebbing at his current chakra as he lingered on the edge of consciousness.

He had defended Konoha from Pain but he couldn't prevent all the loses that Konha suffered and for that he was sorry..

The last thing he saw was the sun setting over his village...

_**-Sakura-**_

She let out a sigh of relief as another man's heart stuttered back to life, she could hardly believe how many lives she'd saved today. Tsunade had been too drained from sending out summons to lend a hand so Ino and herself had to cope with the extra work load.

Many of the other medics had been assigned to the battlefield while Sakura handled the more complex tasks. She had managed to sneak out only then for a quick coffee break. Staring out the window the heat from the coffee warmed her hand and seeped around to the rest of her body.

She couldn't help but worry over Naruto who still hadn't returned..

She had seen Hinata who was barely hanging on to life when she arrived, her will to keep living was something Sakura had to admire in the timid girl.

She had finally admitted her love for Naruto.. Something that nearly killed her..

Sakura could only dream of having courage like that, although Sasuke had been the only person that had managed to bring it out of her so far.

As soon as Sasuke's name passed through her mind a torrent of memories followed which left her in a damp mood. Sighing she drained her coffee in a nearby sink and went back to work..

_**-Sasuke-**_

The feeling of running was something that Sasuke would've normally enjoyed if his mind wasn't bent on revenge. Madara had told him, his time to take revenge on Konoha would come and it did.

Madara had also given him the insight into who he should be killing and for what reasons. They all seemed reasonable to Sasuke, Danzo the head of ANBU black ops was the reason why the Uchiha clan was almost no more.

Sasuke easily entered Konoha through the main gate, jumping over the two drowsy men and landing without a sound was instinct for a killer like him. His cloak rustled lightly in the wind as he continued his venture into the heart of enemy territory, the shadows of midnight granting him perfect cover.

As he rushed through the abandoned streets he felt a familiar chakra up ahead. Slowly he softened his steps and decided to take to the roof. He paused at what came into view..

A fenced roof with blood stained sheets came into his vision, as he closed in on the building his memory was triggered. This was where he had tried to defeat Naruto until Kakashi interrupted..

He also remembered nearly killing a certain pink haired kunoichi...

Her face brought back memories which he thought he'd discarded long ago but yet again he struggled to find the answer as to why they haunted him.

To distract his troubled mind he leapt onto the railing of the wired fence and decided to take a break. It creaked in protest against his weight.

Closing his eyes he gradually felt his other senses strengthen from the absence of his sight. Foreign sounds entered his ear, the strangely annoying sound of crickets chirping while the faint smell of blood wafted around him.

Sasuke then focused on his surroundings for information regarding Konoha's destruction.

"_They say one ninja caused this... His name was Pain, according to Tsunade-sama"_

He already knew that, next..

"_A number of missing ninja haven't returned, I'm afraid."_

Another useless piece of information, when he was about to give up he caught something interesting.

"_Make way!!!" yelled a girlish voice, _she didn't sound familiar_._

"_Kakashi-sensei!!" _A familiar voice this time, although not the one he wanted to hear.

Sasuke could feel his former sensei's life force hovering dangerously low; he was surprised he was still managing to hold on.

He supposed he should be grateful to this man as after all he did teach him the chidori, one technique which seemed to become Sasuke's trademark over the years.

Deciding that the hospital would provide him with no answers he continued on. Gliding over the rooftops Sasuke headed back on course, straight to ANBU black ops head quarters.

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Danzo sat in the middle of head quarters planning his next move, he hadn't expected this many casualties in his plans. His office was now high above ground, deciding that the height gave him an advantage on monitoring Konoha.

Annoyed he stood up from his leather chair and paced around, still his next logical step alluded him.

"Danzo-sama" came the flat tone of a hidden nin.

"I'm fine.."

His pacing gradually slowed until he lifted a hand, instantly a nin appeared kneeling behind him.

"Orders?" came another monotone voice.

"Get Sai for me, we have much to discuss"

"It will be done"

The faint echo of the nins departure slowly faded away as Danzo was left to contemplate again.

After a few minutes of being left alone he could feel himself being watched, trying to act as normally as possible he signalled for his elite guard to perch themselves nearby.

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Sasuke could feel his targets chakra up ahead, the instinct to hunt and kill overwhelmed all his senses yet somehow he managed to sense more than one person ahead. Preparing an illusion for the other disturbances he sliced down the door.

"Hmm" came the hoarse voice of Danzo.

Sasuke stopped a fair way before him, he kept one hand on his kusangi. He could feel the anxiety of the other chakra's as he came into view. The only thing keeping distance between the two was a wooden desk.

"Uchiha.."

"I've been expecting you, although I never thought you'd turn up here.."

Sasuke didn't reply, he just stood tensed ready for a chance to jump.

With a swift hand movement from Danzo, the elite guard assembled around him in an instant.

"Come get me Uchiha.." Danzo laughed while beckoning him over.

Sasuke frowned, at this but still kept his composure.

It was kill or be killed, just the way he liked it..

His sandal shifting against the carpet was the only sound, no wind to rustle clothes was present. Sasuke then launched himself into attack, Danzo's smile straightened out as the sound of battle met his ears. The ripping of leather accompanied by the snapping of wood as furniture was destroyed.

Three of his elite guard had rushed into the flurry, while the other five remained and shuffled their positioning to cover every angle. The last thing they all saw of the lone Uchiha was the red of his sharingan.

The air was thick with tension as each of the guards listened for any sound that might alert them to an incoming attack, but it was quite. Sound was not coming like they perceived. Some of the guards visibly relaxed while one tensed. Something wasn't right, turning to his left he saw his comrades..

Each of them with vicious wounds, blood flowing thickly was each pulse of their hearts pushed them closer to death. His captain had been nailed to the wall with kunai, the blood freely flowing down the originally grey wall. He visibly cringed then doubled over and vomited on the floor. The smell of fresh blood and the imagery still fresh in his head caused him to continue vomiting.

Suddenly his nightmare ended, the atmosphere around him returned. The blood filled air faded but a different sensation over came him. The feel of his cheek on the rough carpet flooring, his vision blurred he could only see all his companions in the same condition. A sharp pain was present at the base of his neck.

However Danzo stood unaffected, he gazed over his guard and a frown overcame his stern face.

"What a vicious mind you have, Uchiha-san" he jeered.

Sasuke met his taunts with the sound of chirping birds, Chidori formed around the edges of his kusangi. With speed unmatched he appeared in front of Danzo and was about to deliver the killing blow when a guard who had somehow recovered grabbed his arm while slashing Sasuke's upper leg in the process.

The pain wasn't something uncommon, with his remaining strength Sasuke launched the guard. He was sent hurtling into the glass window of the building. The shattering of the fragile compound was deafening as the guard tumbled to his death.

The shards caught the light and played a small rainbow on the wall as they fell along to the ground at their own pace. Danzo now rendered defenceless was backing away towards the exit, showing no mercy the avenger launched himself at this target but was kicked away in the last metre.

Rubbing the blood away from his cracked lip Sasuke looked up to see another man, or a teenager. His pale skin made its way into his memories as he recalled the said teen.

"Sai.."

"I'm glad you remember my name Sasuke-kun"

Again Sasuke glared at Danzo, and with that he launched into another fray of deadly attacks. Sai managed to intercept many of them while some barely grazed Danzo and rendered him motionless. Age had clearly withered away his once power, while Sai dusted off his clothes he pulled out a scroll and quickly sketched down drawings.

These jumped to life, the office was now covered with ink beasts. They stood atop the ruined furniture, each covering a possible escape route. Sasuke frowned. His chidori slightly wavered, the drain taking its toll. The beasts launched themselves and Sasuke set off at slashing them down in numbers.

When their numbers were reduced to about half Danzo left his spot, for some reason he was holding back. Chakra repelled him at high speed as he cleared the wooden desk, Sasuke could only curse. His back was to the window and he had little room to dodge, he was about to grab Danzo and throw him out but his clothes were soaked with ink.

He couldn't lift his arms in time to defend himself, Danzo delivered the blow straight to his chest. Sasuke gasped as the wind was knocked out off him, everything was in slow motion as he felt the glass shatter against his rigid back. Each individual fragment of the shattered glass glinted against the sunrise, each glisten went unnoticed by his sharingan. The last thing Sasuke could recall was the shock on Sai's face and the killing intent on Danzo's.

Using the remaining of his chakra, he sliced his ink covered shirt. Using chidori he latched onto the side of the building and slowly pulled himself to it battling with the rush of the wind. Once there he used his remaining chakra to stabilise his deadly fall, the rubber of his sandals burning against the friction of the glass and his chakra..

_**-Sakura-**_

She was finally on her way home after possibly the longest day in her life so far. She was relieved, she had lost none of her patients. Each of them pulling through their injuries. She had come to notice that about Konoha ninja, their will to keep fighting was strong among all of them.

The sun was slowly rising over the hokage faces, it bathed her path in a strange hue of pink and purple. The street lamps slowly flickered off one by one as she made her way to her apartment. The path she travelled was commonly used by many but at this time of day the lonely streets and the chill of the cool air made her walk faster than normal.

Yawning she slid her hands into her pockets, the hard metal of her keys gently scraped against her hand. Picking up the pace she turned onto another street and continued to walk until she noticed a figure in the distance. Her breath formed a mist as she slowed down and observed what she saw...

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A/N:

I'm going along with an idea, which seems so far to have potential. I'm not really sure about the length of this story though as I don't have many ideas as off yet but I'm sure something will inspire me to write more chapters. I'm currently doing exams so updates won't be as quick.

Snowsin

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